Coconut Oil: Better than DEET in Repelling Insects, a New Research Shows

Nowadays,
DEET is considered the best way to repel insects and it is praised by many for
its effectiveness; but, it also has major side effects.

People
continue using them despite knowing about the side effects in hope of avoiding
flea, mosquito, and tick-borne diseases.

According
to a recent research, people will no longer need to choose between the lesser
of two evils because a compound from coconut oil, a natural substance, works
better than DEET in the repelling of insects.

DEET:
Effective for Mosquito Repelling, but Bad for Our Health

DEET is an active ingredient present in a lot of
bug-repelling creams, sprays, lotions, roll-ons, etc. available in several
concentration, the EPA estimates show that as much as third of the population
in America uses such products on a regular basis.

Though you may think that DEET works by preventing the
biting, it actually creates a skin barrier that masks your scent that is
attractive to insects. In other words, the insect cannot recognize they can “feast”
from your skin when you have applied this product.

This may sound great in theory; but the reality cannot
be neglected- DEET has been associated with serious health issues, including
itching, redness, hives, seizures, sperm mutation, and immune system
suppression.

Coconut
Oil May be the Answer?

The study, published in Scientific Reports, found that
specific fatty acids from coconut oil have high repellency properties and are effective
in keeping insects at bay. This includes ticks, mosquitoes, bed bugs, and
biting flies.

The compounds were able to provide protection for
amazing two weeks and ticks for at least one week. On the other hand, DEET
loses its tick and bed bug prevention within three days.

Nevertheless, the researchers explain that coconut oil
itself is not a viable repellent. It is the free fatty acid blend of caprylic,
lauric, and capric acid derived from the oil that possesses great repellency.

The fatty acids were 95 percent efficient in the
protection from stable flies whereas the percentage offered by DEET is only 50.
Researchers therefore hope that there will soon be a coconut oil-based
repellent to help us prevent insect-borne diseases naturally and without harmful
side effects.

Unfortunately, flea, tick, and mosquito bite diseases are exponentially growing in the US, i.e. from 27000 cases in 2004 to 96000 cases in 2016. Could coconut oil help us create a healthier repellent product than DEET? It remains to be seen.